how long do I have to go back to CBP to import my car (Illinois)?

[hurlr 1]

Hi!

I've searched and searched in the forums for answers on this, and am getting mixed messages.

My fiance and I plan to drive my car across the NY border (POE), marry, and drive home to Illinois after our honeymoon. Then go up to a registered importer and to CBP office in Michigan to import the car asap after we get home. Toyota will not give me a compliance letter, so I have to use a registered importer.

How long do we have, to import the car? Some threads say 90 days, some say 1 year, and some say 10 years! I think that it needs to be done to be properly licenced/registered in Illinois, so I wondered if our time frame would be more like 30 days because of the need to switch my insurance, etc.

Help, please!

Thanks!

[Krikit 1,163]

You have up to one year to import it but you're going to want to do it sooner than that in order to register and insure it.

Nonresidents may import a vehicle duty-free for personal use up to (1) one year if the vehicle is imported in conjunction with the owner’s arrival. Vehicles imported under this provision that do not conform to U.S. safety and emission standards must be exported within one year and may not be sold in the U.S. There is no exemption or extension of the export requirements.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_trade/importing_car.xml

I wouldn't bother with an importer because you won't need the manufacturer's letter if:

Note: If the vehicle has stickers on the engine (EPA) and inside the drivers-side door (DOT) stating that the car was manufactured to U.S. standards, you will not need a manufacturers letter. Somevehicles are listed by make, model, and year on the DOT and EPA web sites as conforming. If your vehicle is one of those, that would also negate the need for a manufacturer's letter.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/218/kw/moving%20vehicle/related/1

[hurlr 1]

Thank you for your help!